Forever Young
by Arcanelle
Summary: [HIATUS][MirokuSango][Chapter 6 New] Naraku has a new weapon, and Sango witnesses it's effects first hands. Now, she's been reduced to the age of six. Of course, there may be a few advantages to her small stature . . .
1. Shrunk

**Forever Young**

**_Disclaimer: _**_I don't own Inuyasha, unfortunately... Someday, though, I will own my own anime and then when Rumiko Takahashi wants to write a fanfiction on it, she'll have to slap a disclaimer on it. Hah!_

This fanfic is inspired by a fanart by Druihd at druihd. staze. org (take out the spaces) featuring chibified Miroku and Sango in a forest, surrounded by mushrooms. I found it so cute that I just had to write a fanfic of it. Druihd says her inspiration was _Detective Conan_. Cool, ne? Anyway, I don't know how long this will be. It will be a multichapter fic, but I don't know whether I'll try and keep it short (3-7 chapters), medium (10-20), or long (25-40). Well, all I can say is just sit back and enjoy the ride.

===

Sango sighed contently, standing up. "Kirara, if Houshi-sama tries to follow me, drag him back here," she announced, setting the small neko youkai down. She whispered, "Just don't hurt him too badly." Kirara nodded, fixing her gaze upon the monk. Sango glanced at him and headed off towards the hot springs.

She began feeling slightly giddy from a foul stench, nearing the hot springs. Her vision began to blur, and a sudden weakness jolted up her legs. She could no longer support her weight and dropped to the ground and collapsing into a bed of mushrooms.

Sango regained consciousness what seemed like days later - but in reality was only a few hours after she had fainted. She rubbed her eyes and sat up, noticing both the sickening stench and the mushroom bed had vanished. She pushed herself up, gasping. She realized her sleeves now passed far over her hands, and everything seemed bigger - much bigger. She held her breath, edging towards the hot springs. She leaped back in horror once she caught a glimpse of her reflection. "I'm a little kid..." she whispered.

===

Naraku cackled insanely, watching the newly shrunken Sango through Kanna's mirror.

"I really don't think this is going to work," Kagura mused. Naraku smirked, looking over at her.

"Leave the thinking to me, will you?" he asked her. She let out a light, 'hmph' and exited, leaving him to his plan. She didn't plan to listen to him gloat, let alone listen to him curse his plan once it got fumbled.

===

Sango carefully tore an opening on either side of her apron and wrapped it around herself, sliding her arms through the torn part of the fabric. She ripped one of the sleeves from her yukata and fastened it around her waist as a sash. Yanking the ribbon from her hair she pulled a section of her long auburn locks into a low ponytail. She caught a glimpse of her reflection, smirking. She couldn't help but wonder if she should tell the others, but in the end decided that if Naraku found out who she was - assuming that he didn't have something to do with her sudden change in stature in the first place - she would be an easy target. She would simply have to take her chances and hope they wouldn't recognize her.

"She's been gone far too long," Sango heard a voice say as she made her way back to where they had set up camp. "I'm going to check on her."

"I don't think so, Miroku," another voice snapped, "if she's not back by tomorrow, then we can look for her. She probably went for a walk or to sulk over Kohaku - she does that a lot." She crawled closed to the group, but stepped on a stick in the process. At the sound of the crunch Inuyasha whirled around, picking her up by her arm. "What the heck are you doing here, brat?" She growled, kicking him in the stomach and landing on her feet as he dropped her.

"I have just as much right to be here as you do," she pointed out, folding her arms across her chest, "but if you must know the rest of my family was destroyed by a horrible demon calling itself 'Naraku', and I don't have anywhere to go." Kagome glared coldly at Inuyasha.

"Forgive him, he can be really rude at times," Kagome told her, "I'm Kagome, the rude one is Inuyasha, that's Miroku over there, and the kitsune is Shippou. What's your name?" Sango closed her eyes and said the first thing that came to her mind.

"Houko," she announced. "My name is Houko."

"Houko," Miroku began, "you didn't happen to see a woman around, did you? She's slightly taller then Lady Kagome and was wearing a pink yukata. Her name is Sango." Sango, newly dubbed Houko, thought hard. There was only one thing she could do.

"Yeah, I did," she told him, "she was leaving the hot springs. She asked me to tell you that she had something important to take care of. She said she would meet up with you at Kaede's hut once she'd finished, but she didn't know how long she would be."

"Damnit, what could be more important than killing Naraku?!" Inuyasha exclaimed, picking her up by her collar.

"I don't know, I didn't want to pry!" she exclaimed. "Now put me down, would you?" Inuyasha snorted, dropping her into the dirt.

"You'll get used to it," Shippou told her, helping her up. She brushed her hair from her face, glaring at Inuyasha.

"What strikes me as odd is that she didn't tell us herself," Miroku told them, "and she didn't take Kirara, or even Hiraikotsu." Kagome nodded.

"It is a bit strange," she admitted, "we'll have to ask her about it when we next meet up with her."

"What I wanna know is what we're gonna do with that," Inuyasha grumbled, pointing at Sango.

"I'm not a 'that'," she corrected bitterly, "my name is Houko, and I'm a living, breathing person."

"A little low on the food chain to be shooting off the mouth like that, aren't you?" Inuyasha snapped at her. Miroku swiped his shakujou across the back of Inuyasha's head, leaving a giant knot to verify it.

"Inuyasha, you act like more of a child than Houko or even Shippou," Miroku sighed.

"You said you were after Naraku," Sango began, "I want to come with you. He slaughtered my entire family because we possessed a Shikon jewel shard, and I want my vengeance." Kagome shook her head.

"It would be too dangerous to have you along," she told her. Sango growled, looking away.

"I don't care," she affirmed.

"We should leave you at a nearby village," Kagome told her.

"I'll only run away and seek out Naraku on my own," she debated.

"You'll be killed," Kagome pointed out.

"If fate shall have it, then so be it," Sango stated firmly. A burning determination lit up her eyes as she watched Kagome. Inuyasha suddenly noticed a strong familiarity in her scent, but couldn't pinpoint why. He simply shrugged it off, assuming it was nothing important. "I don't care what could happen to me, I will witness Naraku's death. I have nothing to lose." Kagome looked to Inuyasha and Miroku, sighing in defeat.

"If she comes, she's not my responsibility," Inuyasha grumbled.

As Miroku studied over the young girl absorbedly he couldn't help but be reminded of Sango. "I'll take care of her," he volunteered. "She seems like a strong child, and since she's suffered at Naraku's hands she deserves to get revenge. Further more, she says if we leave her that she'll only run off and hunt down Naraku on her own. I would imagine her odds of survival being greater if she stays with us."

"Then she gets to come with us?" Shippou questioned, looking at Inuyasha and Kagome.

"Whatever," Inuyasha snorted.

===

Okay, this was short. Most of my chapters will probably be longer than this, but this was more of a prologue or intro than part of the story. It will actually start to become interesting in future chapters.


	2. Without You

_**Disclaimer: **I don't own Inuyasha. If I did, I wouldn't have killed Kagura in the recent manga chapter... [growls]_

You know, they won't let me use my equals signs for dividers anymore, so I'm stuck using '..v..'. All in all, I liked the equals better, but I don't have to worry about them taking away the period and V at least...

I've been officially accepted into French class! Now just to find a place with a French-English dictionary... stupid Wal-Mart with their, 'We only have Spanish-English dictionaries here.' Stupid baka retards... I have to go all the way to Books-a-Million and I can't get any manga while I'm there... that is so lame!

Virtual cookies to anyone who can tell me what the connection is between Sango and the name "Houko". SangoLancer200 already figured it out.

Anyway, on with the show.

..v..

_**Reviews:**_

_SangoLancer200: _Of course you've never seen a fic like this before! It's a Kurayami original! Well, fanart/_Detective Conan_ inspired original, anyway. Virtual cookies to you!

_Lady Nuri: _Not a clue on the Japanese. But, I know I was a little late on my update.

_Sango0808: _Yep. Very. Thank-you!

_SITboyShippo:_ I had slight writer's block... the chapter is sorta... filler-ish.

_Miyuki:_ I remember you! You're that person I talked to that one time!

_Aprill May: _Thank-you. Oh, and yes, Naraku and I do chibi-fy character_s_... as in plural. Heh, heh...

_Tailchaser: _Thanks very much. I'm glad you decided to read it.

_ninalee-chan: _'Love triangle'? I'm not sure exactly which triangle you mean, but no, no triangles. The first one seems... similar, but this story will take an interesting twist about a half/third of the way through it. [Points to reply to Aprill May's review.]

_lodz: _Of course it's original, I wrote it! Well, sort of... partial credit goes to druihd. One day I'm gonna have to write a story for one of Mikaila's fanarts.

_She-Who-Snogs-Weasley-Boys: _Thank you.

_DarkSilverMaiden: _Thank-you! And you'll just have to wait to see...

..v..

He gazed up at the night sky, thoughts fixed on one person: Sango. He didn't quite understand why she went off without telling them herself, but what truly baffled him was that she took no weapons. The least he would expect her to do was take along her hiraikotsu or even her katana. He knew she was strong, but she had trained all her life to fight with weaponry - he wasn't entirely sure how she would fair fighting unarmed.

Hearing soft footfalls from behind him, a speck of hope came to him, but faded almost immediately. It couldn't have been Sango, right? He turned, sighed.

"Houko, you shouldn't be up," he told the young girl. She shook her head, sitting down beside him.

"I couldn't sleep," she lied. In truth, she had just wanted to see how he been taking her "disappearance". He fixed his eyes back on the sky, sighing yet again. "I'm sure she's alright," the girl assured him. He nodded, closing his eyes.

"You're probably right," he admitted, "she isn't really the type or woman who needs constant protection... Still, I just can't seem to figure out why she left or how come she didn't take Kirara or her weapons with her."

"I'm sure she had a good reason," Houko told him, "you just have to trust her judgment." There was something familiar about this young girl, yet he couldn't quite identify what it was. It was almost as if he had met her before... that couldn't have been, though. He'd never seen this girl in his life, nor had he ever come across anyone by the name of "Houko". "You must have really liked her to be so worried," she observed casually, "the others are sound asleep."

"I was very fond of her," he admitted simply, violet eyes reflecting the full harvest moon.

A smirk came over her face as she realized something: usually by that time he would have groped her, but apparently even Houshi-sama would never stoop to performing his lecherous acts on a child. A smirk came over her face as she realized that she might be able figure out what Miroku truly thought of her now that she was in this form.

"What was she like?" she questioned vaguely, gazing off at the stars. He chuckled lightly, shaking his head as if the question were unanswerable.

"She was an amazing woman," he told her, "fearless, strong, beautiful - not to say she didn't have her faults, though. She did have a short temper, and she may be a bit too independent for her own good... but, too say the least, I would never want her to change."

"So she was very special to you," she observed. He nodded. "Did you love her?" she questioned, turning toward him.

"I think that's enough questions for one night," he told her, grinning in amusement, "it's getting late, and Inuyasha is bound to have us up at the break of dawn. You should get some sleep." She sighed, hopping up and following him back to the campfire Kagome had set up. She supposed it may have been a little too much that he would confide in a six-year-old on such a personal matter, especially since the majority of young kids had a hard time keeping secrets.

..v..

She could feel the wind gently and steadily running through her hair; she was hearing unending rhythmic footfalls which seemed unusually close, yet never fading. She couldn't help but wonder where she was. In a sigh, she reluctantly opened her eyes as her senses gradually returned to her.

She was moving.

She blinked, perplexed by the indigo fabric beneath her finger tips. A realization struck her, causing a deep flush to paint her cheeks.

"Houshi-sama...?" she questioned sleepily, tightening her grip on his shoulders.

"So, you're awake, are you Houko?" he questioned.

Houko. Who was Houko? She blinked a few times. Houko. No, it couldn't be. She looked at her hands which seemed dwarfed compared to Miroku's, and the distance to the ground also seemed abnormally far.

"Yeah, I'm awake," she grumbled in irritation. She had hoped it had been no more than a bizarre dream, but it appeared as though her hopes were in vain. "I don't take it you have a lead on Naraku?" she asked him. He shook his head.

"No, unfortunately, but we have heard rumors of a powerful demon around a nearby village," he explained, "Lady Kagome isn't able to tell whether or not it possesses a shard at the moment, but all the same it's probably best if we check it out." Houko nodded, sliding off of his back onto the ground.

"I can walk from here, Houshi-sama," she explained, keeping pace with him.

It didn't seem to register with him why she insisted on calling him, 'Houshi-sama'. Generally most children didn't seem to understand the concepts of authority, referring to him by his name, as Shippou generally did. It was possible that her parents had trained her to be very respectful, but it didn't seem too likely. He sighed, assuming it meant nothing of importance and continued following Kagome and Inuyasha towards the village.

A sickening sensation filled her gut as she surveyed the area. There was no doubt about it - there was a strong youki in the immediate area.

"Inuyasha," the monk called, "do you sense it?" He nodded.

"There's a demon here, alright," he assured them, cracking his knuckles. He looked over at Kagome, smirking. "You sense any Shikon shards around?" She shook her head.

"Yeah," she told him, "over in the trees." Inuyasha narrowed his eyes, mystified by the intoxicatingly sweet scent mixed with the youkai. The only explanation he could find was that it was a plant youkai, meaning it was probably easy to beat. That was where he was wrong.

Out of the corner of her eye Houko caught a glimpse of an object approaching her rapidly. Instinctively she attempted to dodged the object, but whatever it had been had grazed her arm and sliced the top layer of her skin.

"What the hell was that?!" Inuyasha exclaimed, glaring that the tree.

"My name is Bara," a haughty, youthful voice echoed from high in the branches, "and those were thorns."

..v..

Sorry it took so long to update... I now have a Sailor Jupiter plushy and a wall scroll of all the inner Sailor Scouts and Tuxedo Mask. They all kept yelling at me to update... Figures, I go to a yard sale and the stuff I buy yells at me to write. Stupid plushy... even if it is cute as heck... [huggles Jupie] She ish my second-favorite Sailor Scout... next to Mars. Jupie reminds me a little of Sango - and they look pretty similar - and Mars is very much like Kikyou. I like them all, though... Much thanks to Aamalie for updating SC, because that was part of my inspiration to write.

Oh, and in regards to the kid calling itself Bara, they aren't a major character, but they do have a significant role in the plot. Nope, I'm not saying whether they're a girl or a boy.


	3. Rose Thorns

_**Disclaimer: **Inuyasha isn't mine... yet. My flying muffins brought me the wrong papers, so I am now the proud owner of a red sedan that I can't even drive! Tosses papers to a random hobo on the street. On with the story._

..v..

Dedication: This chapter is dedicated to everyone who lost anything in the hurricanes. Even Gator-fans didn't deserve that. They may deserve to see the Gator's lose every game they ever play, but nothing more than that...

Well, since I live in Tennessee, right now we're getting some heavy rain. Thanks to my good buddy and fellow Gator-hater, Ivan the Hurricane, I'm now out of school! They haven't called off the Vols vs. Gators football game, though. Go Vols! Stands up and sings _Rocky Top_ Ivan is now on his death bed in his final hour, but he will always be remembered as the hurricane who ripped the Southern States to shreds. Funeral music plays.

..v..

_**Reviews:**_

_SangoLancer200: _No. She has the strength she had when she was about 6 (give or take a little). Physically, she the same as she was when she was 6. Mentally, emotionally, etc. she's still the same, though. :)

_Aamalie: _Well, you'll have to wait and see. Sorry if you think I didn't update soon enough, but just let me remind you that SC is due for an update, as well. Refreshes inbox I need something to read! I'm getting very, very bored! Stupid library... doesn't have the next Tamora Pierce book in...

_Just an Inu fan: _Well... if I made Shippou have a crush on Houko, then that would throw my story into too many different directions. And Bara is a Japanese word meaning 'rose' or 'thorn'. I couldn't get manga because I didn't have enough money. Books-a-Million is a real store - it's where I usually go to buy manga... well, there or Barnes and Noble, or occasionally B. Dalton.

_Kuro Ranmyaku: _Thanks. I had to fight with my spell-checker on word, though. It doesn't like your penname. Oh well. :)

_lodz: _Thanks.

_YoukaiTajaiyaSango: _Thank-you.

_SITboyShippou: _Thank-you. Sorry to hear about your story, though... that's happened to me before.

_Xichiathik: _Thank-you. tosses you virtual cookies. Yes, it _is _Kuwashima-san's name!

_Aprill May: _Don't worry, the only way I can read every update is if I put every story I've ever read on Author Alert. Otherwise I can't remember what I've read and what I haven't. Of course, I have to delete a lot of people off of my alert system every month because of it... Virtual cookies to you! Yay!

..v..

A girl no older than twelve or thirteen dropped from the trees. Her eyes were as green as the grass, her hair as brown as the bark on the trees. "You're in my territory," she announced. "If you leave now, you might be allowed to live."

"Don't get so full of yourself!" Inuyasha demanded, reaching for tetsusaiga. Before he could even unsheathe it, though, a piercing high-pitched screeching sound filled his ears. He released the sword and covered his ears in attempt to shield them from the squeal.

"Inuyasha, what's wrong?" Kagome asked anxiously, looking over him.

"Apparently you have sensitive hearing as well as a sensitive nose," the girl observed, pulling a rose from behind her ear. "I'll ask you again - leave!"

Houko studied the girl carefully, trying to pinpoint any weakness she could have. The look in her eyes caught Houko's attention more than anything - there was a look of wisdom and maturity shining in them, despite her young age. What if this girl - this "Bara" - had undergone the same treatment as her? As unlikely as it seemed, it couldn't be eliminated as a possibility.

"Come on, Inuyasha," Kagome asked him, "maybe we can find another lead on Naraku. What's one jewel shard at the time, anyway?" Bara's eyes widened at Kagome's words.

"You're after Naraku?!" she questioned, tucking the rose back behind her ear. "If you find him, tell him I want my jewel fragment."

"What?" Houko questioned, completely dazed. Bara sighed, rolling her eyes.

"I tried out some new weapon Naraku made," she explained, "and in return he promised me two Shikon shards. He gave me one before hand, but he never gave me the other one. Tell him I want it. Now get out of my forest before I change my mind..." She retreated into the trees and watched them walk away in utter confusion.

"Kill Naraku..." she murmured as they walked away, "Kill him for doing this to me..."

..v..

"That girl was so strange..." Miroku muttered. Houko nodded.

"She seemed to have something against Naraku," she observed, "I wonder what he did to her..." Inuyasha shrugged.

"I don't know, but she wasn't much help," he grumbled, "all we know is that Naraku owes her a shard."

"Even so, we now know Naraku has another weapon," Miroku explained to them calmly. "We have to be careful." Houko nodded.

"How do we know _you're_ not Naraku's secret weapon, huh?" Inuyasha questioned Houko. "You showed up the moment we lost Sango, you didn't have an explanation for it, and -"

"Inuyasha, sit!" Kagome exclaimed. She sighed, shaking her head as he crashed to the ground.

"Need I remind you that she's human, Inuyasha?" Miroku pointed out. "I see no possible motive for Naraku to choose a random human child as his secret weapon. She would have no motive to help him, and he wouldn't be able to control her without a Shikon shard." Houko sighed in relief that Kagome and Miroku had taken her side. Still, that begged the question: was Naraku responsible for what had happened to her? Should she tell them? She shook her head. In the event that Naraku wasn't responsible, it could pose a threat. Besides, they probably wouldn't believe her anyway.

"Don't mind Inuyasha," Shippou told her, "he just forgets to think sometimes."

"Perhaps we should return to Kaede's hut," Miroku suggested. "In the event that Sango didn't plan on taking more than a day or so, she might already be there." Houko sunk in her spot. It hurt her to lie to them like she was - they were all so worried, especially Miroku.

"That reminds me, I have a test in a few days," Kagome remarked. "If we start off today, we should get back by nightfall. I'll have two days to study, and then I can come back here after I take my test."

"Fine," Inuyasha grumbled, propping himself against a tree. "Whatever. Just make sure to bring food back."

They were going to be disappointed when they discovered that they were probably never going to see Sango again.

..v..

This chapter was shorter than the last one! Oh well... I updated faster, so that must count for something... right?


	4. Uprising

_**Disclaimer: **I don't own Inuyasha, but I am the owner of a copy of the dubbed version of Inuyasha: The Movie 1! Yay! It was awesome!_

Dedication: To my French teacher and to my science teacher from 7th grade - Madame Devenski and Mr. Currin. They just go married! The only problem I have with this is 1) I wasn't invited... (I'll get over it - inviting one student would mean inviting them all, and providing 200 or more kids - not to mention adults - with cake would be a difficult task), and 2) we are going to have a substitute in French class for an entire week so they can go on their honeymoon... I hate having a substitute...

..v..

A/N: After I get finished with my other Inuyasha story, _Thirteen_, I'm making a Rin/Kohaku centered fic. It will probably be out sometime in October or November. Watch for it! Don't worry, all your favorite couples will be in it - including: Sango/Miroku, Sess/Kagura, Shippou/Souten, and either Inu/Kikyou or Inu/Kagome. It depends on how I'm feeling and what the readers want. For more information, check my bio... After you read my fic!

Ack... my allergies are starting up again! I hate allergies... Every three seconds I have to blow my nose...

..v..

_Aamalie:_ Uh-huh... well, it's not my fault that you can't make Naraku sound evil instead of retarded. Just try to make Queenizzay update so that Corisu and you can update! And yes, Monks are awesome. :)

_anime09: _Yep. The rain here was like... a drizzle. Talk about paranoid idiots... oh well, I got out of school, anyway.

_Heart of Friendship: _Thank-you. And you either chose one you want and subscribe (then you're only getting alerts), make your own, or somebody will ask you to be on staff. I'll let you be on staff in mine, if you like.

_Naomi-Starcloud: _Thank-you.

_YoukaiTaijiyaSango: _Because she doesn't know whether Naraku is responsible or not, and if Naraku wasn't responsible and he did find out, something bad could happen.

_Xichiathik: _Heh heh... speaking of cookies, I think I have some in my fridge...

_Tache: _Correct! Virtual cookies for you!

_SITboyShippou: _Thank-you.

_Jyppster: _Thanks much.

_Aprill May: _Oh, just wait... This chapter hints at the second - er - third? - chibification. Yay for chibis!

_lodz: _Don't worry. In the next chapter he'll be over withdrawal... he'll be going into shock! He'll have Sango back, though... sort of...

..v..

She curled up on the futon sprawled across the floor, watching the monk across the room. He leaned against the wall, distantly gazing off. Any other person may have assumed it was boredom that occupied his thoughts - or perhaps some other trivial matter, but she knew better.

He was worried. Deeply.

She wanted to tell him that it was her, to tell him that he had no reason for worry, but she knew she couldn't. In case Naraku wasn't responsible for what had happened to her or in the rare coincidence that he had unknowingly shrunken her, she couldn't tell a soul. She couldn't even say it aloud - Naraku could be anyone or anywhere, or he could have his minions lurking behind every corner. She couldn't risk it - Naraku would have her dead in an instant.

She'd have to do something to take his mind off of her disappearance, and she'd often found herself wondering about Miroku's parenting skills. _'It's worth a shot, anyway,'_ she told herself, approaching him.

"Houko...?" he questioned, feeling her leaning up against his arm. He leaned down toward her, finding himself caught in her sad, chocolate orbs.

"I'm cold," she declared, hugging her knees to her chest. She wasn't lying - it _was _cold. Her apron wasn't much of a kimono, after all - there were no sleeves, and it barely hung to her knees. Added to the fact the winter was fast approaching, it was no surprise that she found herself shivering. He smiled, turning away and putting his arm around her shoulders.

"Kaede-sama is supposed to have you a new kimono tomorrow," he told her. She nodded - she was grateful for that. In the meantime, though, this worked just as well. A few moments of silence passed between them before Miroku finally spoke up. "Houko, how old are you?" he questioned. His gaze was fixed ahead of him on the wall, a solemn expression lingering over his face.

'_Looks like I misjudged you, Houshi-sama,' _she concluded sourly. _'You're going to ask me your question, after all.'_ Still, it would be rude not to answer. She wasn't entirely sure how old she was supposed to be at her height, but she figured she may as well guess. "Six," she told him dryly. He nodded.

"I thought so," he admitted. "I was about your age when my father died, as well." Her heart sank, guilt overtaking her. Not only had she jumped to the wrong conclusion, she was now a walking reminder of his father's death.

"I'm sorry," she sighed softly. He glanced at the beads on his right hand gravely.

"Unless Naraku dies, I'll probably suffer the same fate," he confessed. And so he explained to her Naraku's curse on his family and how it would be passed down through each generation. Hearing his story was sobering, even if she did already know it. She wished she'd told him she was eight - if that were the case, she probably wouldn't have been listening to him at the time. He was just trailing off from one somber thought to the next, even though her original goal was to try and make him feel a little better.

"That's why I have to kill Naraku," he continued. "Disposing of him is the only way I can live, and unless I live..." His voice trailed off as he thought for a moment on how he could explain it to her. "You might not understand it yet, but there was a special bond between Sango and myself. I wouldn't want to cause her any more pain."

She felt terrible. She was lying to him, and he was here telling her his life story. He forced a grin, turning back toward her. Despite his attempt to look cheerful, sorrow bled through his deep, violet eyes.

"I should probably try to think of a less tragic bedtime story next time," he admitted, "but if you get nightmares, just tell Inuyasha and you can make him sing for you."

"I ain't singing for nobody," the hanyou grunted, tossing his nose up into the air. "_You_ can sing for the brat if she starts caterwauling from having bad dreams."

"Oh, _he'll_ make a _fine_ father..." Houko grumbled sarcastically, rubbing her temples.

"Indeed..." Miroku breathed, folding his arms behind his head. A chill ran down her spine as her shoulders were exposed to the cool air around her. She ran her hands over her forearms to warm them and leaned against the monk at her side. She bit her lower lip, thinking for a moment.

"Inuyasha, would you swap beds with me?" she asked him. He looked at her questioningly though the corner of his eye, twitching an ear. "Please...?" she added, in hopes that it might budge his standpoint somewhat. Inuyasha turned from where he stood by the door to look at his futon, which was next to Miroku's.

"I don't know, Miroku," he growled, glaring at the houshi suspiciously, "can I trust you to sleep next to the girl without pulling anything?"

"Must you always assume the worst of me?" Miroku mumbled, narrowing his eyes. Houko tried her best to pretend she didn't know what they were talking about, but she didn't imagine her acting skills were up to par.

"Feh," he growled turning away. "It's not my place to ward of lechers for her. If she can't do that, we may as well dump her off on Kaede right now." Houko and Miroku both shot him icy glares. "If the kid wasn't stupid enough to try and follow us away, I'd probably do it anyway..." he added beneath his breath. She wanted to bash him over the head with something then and there, but decided to try and be respectful by pretending she didn't hear him.

After Kaede and Shippou had returned from gathering herbs and they had all finished eating their supper, Houko tucked herself into the blanket beside Miroku. For once, she hoped, she'd be allowed to get a good night's rest in, with no youkai or Shikon shard interrupting it. Not to say she didn't want to find any more shards, but she'd much rather find them after she'd slept. After all, it would have to be over a month since she'd had a decent slumber.

She drifted off quickly into fantasies of her ideal life, namely one with Miroku and Kohaku - the two people that meant the most to her.

..v..

She awoke to the soft, unmistakable jingling that was none other than the shakujou carried by Miroku. She wiped her eyelids wearily and looked to the monk standing at the door.

"Houshi-sama...?" she mumbled groggily. He turned around to face her, violet eyes shimmering.

"I'm headed to the hot springs," he justified. "I'll be back shortly." He smiled warmly, the same smile that had made her heart melt so many times before.

He was up to something.

Inuyasha snorted, rolling over. "'Hot springs' my ass..." he growled before trying to go back to sleep. Generally he'd be much more willing to get up, but without a lead on Naraku or Kagome to sense the shards, he saw no reason why he should get up early.

"Inuyasha can be really pessimistic at times..." Shippou sighed, watching the pot of vegetables simmer. Kaede nodded without a word, continuing to cook. She didn't need to drag herself into such a mess, after all. Upon hearing the rustling of blankets in the direction of Houko's bed she turned sharply, remembering the girl.

"You're awake," she affirmed. "Inuyasha, you and Shippou go outside while I help the child into her kimono." Inuyasha grunted, but forced himself up and grabbed Shippou by his tail, dragging him out.

"C'mon, runt," he grumbled, "let's go track down that stupid lecher and make sure he's not doing something Sango would slap him over..." As the curtains swung closed, Kaede held the kimono out for the girl to inspect.

It was beautiful. She traced her fingers along the silver flower petals embroidered over the soft lavender material, quivering slightly. Kaede had probably acquired it from someone whom she had assisted - someone well off, for that matter.

"You like it?" the elderly miko inquired, studying the look on the girl's face.

She nodded and, forcing herself to overcome her speechlessness, gasped, "It's wonderful." The old woman smiled, helping the girl out of the tattered cloth she'd used for a dress and into her new one. She was about to point out that it looked very similar to the apron Sango had worn, but she let it slide.

'_Curiosity killed the cat,'_ she reminded herself, helping the young girl to fasten the indigo obi around her waist.

..v..

Houko gazed over the edge of the grass into her reflection. He had to admit, it was the most stunning kimono she'd ever worn. Of course, as a taijiya her family had always been more concerned with how she fought than how she looked. Still, though, she adored it. The soft, cool colors contoured her ruler-shaped body perfectly, covering all of her arms but her hands and hanging to her ankles. The indigo or the obi was her favorite part - it was the same color of the eyes of her beloved monk.

"I can't believe that stupid monk," a familiar voice hissed. "He's gone! The village girls haven't seen him; he wasn't at the hot springs... The idiot probably left to try and find Sango." Kirara, who was standing next to Houko and batting at her reflection - which to her appeared to be another cat youkai, stopped to stare at Inuyasha in confusion. Was her mistress not standing beside her? True, she was a considerable amount smaller, but wasn't it still her mistress? The fire-cat shook her head, purring and rubbing against the young girl's leg.

"Damnit..." Inuyasha growled, "I'm smelling things again... it faintly reminds me of Sango." He snorted, heading into the hut. "I'm never eating that old wench's cooking again..."

"What's with him?" Houko questioned, stroking Kirara. Shippou shrugged, following Inuyasha. "Houshi-sama wouldn't leave when he was told Sango would be returning to Kaede's, would he?" she questioned, stroking Kirara. She gasped in realization. "Kirara, you don't think... what happened to me... could it?" she tried to force out. Kirara mewed softly, jumping out of her owner's lap. Houko nodded sharply. "You're right. Let's go," she announced, jumping up. No one else was around, so it was her best chance to get away without suspicion.

She crept past the hut, just for safety, and raced towards the direction she remembered to be the way to the hot spring, with Kirara trailing her closely. She stumbled, landing face first in dirt.

"Ouch..." she grumbled, pushing herself up. "It's harder to run as a kid," she complained. "Kirara, you think you can carry me?" The youkai mewed in response and quickly transformed into her full form. Sango swiftly hoisted herself on Kirara's back and gestured towards the direction of the hot springs. "Let's go," she whispered to her companion. Kirara charged towards the woods, but slowed once she reached a mushroom-lined area.

Houko pulled her collar over her nose as the intoxicating scent filled the air. She fumbled for a moment until her she had fished the filter mask from her obi, holding her breath in order to let the fabric loose and replace it with her poison filter. _'If Inuyasha and Shippou made it through here, then it might not work as well on demons,' _she assumed. _'Ironic, though... the noses of demon are much sharper than those of mortals.'_

From the looks of things, Miroku was probably already knocked out. She was unsure how long it would be for, though - it was probably more than a few brief moments, though, seeing how he had been worried about her being gone to long when she had been shrunk. If she was lucky, he would be okay.

..v..

This chapter was longer than the last one. It wasn't excessively long, but it's an improvement. Anyway, I've already started on my Rin/Kohaku story. It won't be up until I finish _Thirteen,_ though. It only has a few chapters left, at least. It shouldn't be more than a month or so before you can get to read it.


	5. Comforting Arms

**Disclaimer** : I don't own Inuyasha, alright! Stop rubbing it in!

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A/N:

You know how I said I wasn't going to post my R/K (Rin/Kohaku) fanfic until my other story was finished? Well, I've never exactly been what you'd call patient, so... yeah. It's up. Don't worry, there is going to be M/S and possibly other couplings. Since I don't have time to tell you all the little minor couplings, let's just say I will not betray any canon couplings. Basically, there won't be any APs unless I'm coupling together two characters with no traditional love interest. I did say it would be out sometime in October, though. So there, it was only a half-lie... or a half-truth... depending on whether you're an optimist or pessimist. Anyway, my writing style in _DQ_ is a lot different then my writing style here. I have to re-edit _DQ_'s first chapter... I read over it and found two mistakes. That's probably a record, though... just two!

This chapter gets really fluffy in parts... Yay for fluffiness! And that fact that they're chibis just makes it all the cuter...

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_Reviews:_

_lodz: _I'm bad at choosing chapter titles. So sue me... -is now surrounded by lawyers- It's just an expression!

_Aamalie: _Yes, well, it's a two way street, because I can also harass you over AIM. -poke- After all, you said you'd try to upload _OA_ soon. As for the chibi-Miroku, yes. -nods- After all, what could be funner than that! -blink, blink- Is 'funner' a word? More fun? Funner... er? More funner? -sigh- Whatever... Oh, and you'd better move your lazy mouse, hit the button, and review! If not, I'll bug you on AIM until your screen explodes and you have to write and upload all of your fanfics at school.

_SITboyShippou: _Don't worry, writer's block happens to the best of us. )

_Iggy04: _Wow... I feel so loved. -sniff- I usually update at least one of my fics each week, so this one will be updated every two-three weeks, since I currently have three fanfics in the work.

_YoukaiTajaiyaSango: _It's pretty popular, but I have to admit _Thirteen_ isn't my best work. AT the moment, I'm convinced be best is _Dancing Queen. DQ _is a Rin/Kohaku, though, so I don't know if you're interested.

_Xichiathik: _Right. Of course he'll be fine. Well, ya know, after he's over the shock of having been turned into a nine-year-old. But yeah. He'll be okay.

_AutumnAngel: _Don't worry, it will get better. I'm debating on which way I want them to be restored to their normal ages. I have two or three ways in mind...

_anime09: _Yeah... the flood was pretty bad. I'm glad you weren't really affected, though.

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**Chapter 5: Comforting Arms**

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He wasn't sure exactly what had happened, or how. All he could remember was the he had been on his way to the hot springs when a vile stench overtook him and caused him to black out.

Mushrooms. They had lined the pathway, but he had thought nothing of them. Ironically, they had disappeared when he had woken up. They had to have had something to do with his current state.

He had passed out, and the next thing he knew, his ear was being clawed at. He opened one ear, glaring at the cat youkai which was raising its paw to in aggravation, ready scratch at him again.

"I'm _up_, Kirara..." he grumbled, waving her away. She mewed in response, dashing in her mistress's direction and pawing at the girl's kimono. She turned in her pet's direction, noticing something out of the corner of her eye: he was moving.

"Houshi-sama, you're awake!" she exclaimed joyously, starting to run towards him. She stopped, realizing something. How was she going to explain to him that he'd been set back about ten years? '_Kami, help me... I'm going to need it.' _"Houshi-sama... this may seem a bit strange, but you should probably take a look at your reflection." He gave her a lopsided stare as if he was assured that she had lost her mind, but seeing the anxiety and concern in the young girl's eyes told him that she was serious.

She watched in anguish as he neared to hot springs. As he walked, he hadn't seem to notice that his shakujou had seemed to double in size, nor that she was significantly closer to his height, or even that his robes were about ten sizes to big. The instant he got a glimpse of himself, though, he stumbled back, eyes wide as saucers. "How the hell...?" was all he could manage to get out. Houko winced, biting down fiercely on her lip. She was more or less obliged to tell him now, but it would probably be better to wait until he had overcome the shock.

'_There won't be any easy way to tell him...' _she reminded herself bitterly. She plopped down next to him, wrapping her arms around her knees, studying him.

After several moments of silence, he finally spoke up. "The same thing happened to you, didn't it?"

'_Oh, joy...' _she growled inwardly, _'I get to watch him try to cheat on me with myself... won't this will be interesting...' _"It did," she stated plainly. He nodded, smirking.

"I thought so," he admitted. He glanced at her out of the corner or his eye. "Sango." The girl twitched slightly - the same way Inuyasha would twitch whenever he was guilty of chasing after Kikyou. "Am I correct in my assumption?"

"You are," she confessed solemnly.

"I knew it would have had to be you. After all..." he paused, draping an arm around her shoulder, "your personality is unmistakable." She eyed him cautiously, then eyed the hand on her shoulder.

"Houshi-sama, how do I know I can trust you, now that you know who I am and all?" she questioned, narrowing her eyes. He chuckled lightly, shaking his head.

"You won't have to worry about that for about three years," he laughed. She rolled her eyes at him, clearly annoyed.

"Alright, Houshi-sama," she sighed, leaning onto his shoulder. It was getting cold, anyway, and it might help her warm up. "Just don't get too accustomed to this." He smiled contently, leaning back against the tree behind them. It was probably sometime in the evening, judging by the sun. He was beginning to realize his hunger.

"Do you think it's safe to let Inuyasha and Kagome know about this?" he questioned, stroking his companion's cat as she neared him.

"If I thought that, I wouldn't have deceived you all," Sango replied bluntly, digging in the dirt with the heel of her sandal.

"Well, it's not as if they won't find it suspicious if they end up with an extra kid following them around the moment they loose another acquaintance," he pointed out. She held her foot still, nodding in irritation. She hated to admit it, but he was right. "We can tell Kaede and stay with her, since I'm sure she would understand that she isn't supposed to tell anyone. We'd have to wait for Inuyasha, Kagome, and Shippou to all leave, though... or..." he stopped for a moment, as if he wasn't sure about his next idea.

"Or what?" Sango asked, turning to him.

"There's always Mushin," he mumbled hesitantly. "Most times he'd probably be to drunk to know what's going on around him, much less care. It's probably not a wise choice, though... We could try and seek out an antidote, but that's about as risky as telling Inuyasha or Kagome. Our only other alternative would be to try and make it on our own."

She sunk her teeth viciously into her bottom lip, burying her head in his chest. "Houshi-sama... what are we supposed to do? Any choice we make could end up badly, and-"

"Let's not worry about that now," he whispered soothingly, cradling her in comforting arms. It seemed so much easier now that they'd been shrunken - the three-year age gap was much more significant now.

She flushed beet-red as he pulled her into his lap, the oversized sleeves of his robes covering her completely. Once she thought about it, she realized his robes were probably so loose on his now that both of them would be able to fit inside of them with room to spare. At the thought of it Sango reddened even deeper, if it were possible.

After a few minutes of peaceful silence, Miroku began to speak, his signature perverted smirk taking over his face. "Tell me, Sango," he questioned softly, "did you follow me to the hot springs?"

"I haven't been hanging around you _that_ long," she grunted. "I just thought something might be wrong when Inuyasha said he couldn't find you." A smirk played on her lips as Kirara jumped up into Sango's lap, settling herself against Miroku's robes.

"I guess she was feeling left out," Miroku observed, laughing softly at her. Sango blushed lightly, glancing at him over her shoulder.

"Houshi-sama, just out of curiosity..." she began hesitantly, "we aren't going to be sleeping like this, are we?"

"That all depends. Do you want us to sleep like this?" She sighed, watching as the sky darkened. The sun was now completely down.

"It doesn't matter..." she breathed, closing her eyes and relaxing in his arms. Miroku claimed she could trust him not to grope her - for the moment, anyway - and besides, she couldn't fight adequately in her current condition. Sleeping next to one another might be safer, at least.

"We'll find something to eat tomorrow," he assured her.

-

Yeah, yeah, it was short. At least it was fluffy though, right? RIGHT?! -points to the little button at the bottom- Review! And that means _all_ of you. Anyway, since this chapter was short, I'll probably update faster, since it didn't drain quite as much of my muse.


	6. Interlude : Kagura's Choice

**Disclaimer **: I don't know what you're talking about . . . I never said I own Inuyasha!

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AN:  
Sorry about the prolonged update. For the past week and a half I've had some computer troubles. You see, the main computer had a virus and I just got a new one with no internet (and with no MSword - just wordpad), so they transferred all my files to my new one (actually, it's a '98, but . . .) and rebooted the old one. So, now the internet's on one computer and my website files, my fics, and my graphics are on another one. Life is cruel, ne?

Basically, I desperately need a beta, since I now am without a spell-checker.

Anybody ever read any books by Tamora Pierce? I love her **Protector of the Small **series, but right now I'm reading _Trickster's Choice _(in the **Trickster** series). Parts leave me a bit lost, though, because I never read the last three books in **Song of the Lioness**. I really like Aly, but Dove is my favorite character from **Trickster** and Kel is my all-time favorite. I really like the quiet, observant ones as opposed to the others. The weird thing about Aly, though, is unlike Daine, Kel, or Alanna, we don't meet up with her when she's a kid - we meet her at the bright and bonny age of sixteen. It's kind of scary, though, that the longer she's away from her mother the more like her she becomes . . . If you're lost, go to your local library/bookstore, look in juvenile fiction/fantasy, and search for Tamora Pierce. **Protector **is the most like Inuyasha of them all, but the others are good, as well. I'd start out with **Lioness**, though, and then get **Immortals**, then **Protector** and **Trickster**, because they're all connected and if you don't read Alanna, Daine, and Kel's series you might be lost in Aly's (truth be told, you don't have to read Kel for Aly, but Kel rocks hard, especially if you're a Sango fan).

So, without further ado, here's FY: Interlude one.

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_Reviews:  
Whoa . . . I got eighteen reviews at least! I love you all . . . -huggles all her reviewers- Sorry if I didn't get to you. There were just too many . . ._

_KimonoChick: _Tsk, tsk . . . you shouldn't make fun of gay people. :)

_Dreamerchan: _Thank-you. Cotton candy is good . . .

_Just an Inu fan: _Miroku's not gonna have a name because he'll return to adulthood shortly. Don't worry, though - there will be plenty of fluff in the coming chapters, especially once he hits thirteen. xD (You'll have to read to see what I mean . . .)

_Xichiathik: _Thank-you for your nice and long review. ;)

_Aprill May: _Thanks. I'm sorry that I broke my chain of consistent updating, but I have a legitimate reason. -points to AN-

_rogueandkurt: _Actually it's more of a spell that makes you ten years younger sort of thing, hence Kagura saying in this chapter "unless you wish to repeat the last ten years of your life." :)

_NightMistCrystal: _In the anime, Sango's sixteen and Miroku's nineteen. In the manga, Sango's seventeen. I don't have a clue why it's different . . .

_Heart of Friendship: _Yes, you are in dire need to update . . . again. -pokes you- Update, Chibi Queen, or I shall send the muffins to get you! Mwuahahaha! -cough-

_Iggy04: _No, no, I didn't have a fever. I just wasn't in the mood for a cliffie. Don't worry, though. The next few chapters will get into their "teen years" - like, thirteenish - and fluff is assured.

_ninalee-chan: _Yup. Just like plushies . . . ;)

_Aamalie: _Don't worry, they will . . . -starts planning for last chapter- And, yea, it's probably a little of both. :)

_PriestessMiko: _Glad you finally decided to read it. Oh, and it's because Sango's Japanese voice is Houko Kuwashima, which will also explain Sango's last name in **DQ**.

_Kitten Kisses: _-gasp- You mean someone actually put this on their favorites? Wow! Thanks for reading. :)

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**Interlude One: Kagura's Choice**

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The crimson-eyed woman grunted, turned on her heel and storming out of the castle. Being at Naraku's beck-and-call wasn't exactly what you'd call "a walk in a garden". Still, she didn't have much of a choice. And he was sending Kanna with her, meaning he would have no way of watching her to make sure she did exactly as she was told.

_"Good. Everything has gone as planned . . . so far. Now, I want you to kill them." _She shuddered, remembering his cold command. She didn't really have much of a reason to let them live, other than the fact that she hated Naraku more than she hated them. It was true that Inuyasha was probably what you'd call "the ring leader", but the two might play an important role in the death of her cruel master. She smirked wickedly, removing the small, porcelain bottle and a Shikon no Kakera from her kimono sleeve.

"Kagura, are you sure Naraku will not find out?" a ghostlike voice asked. She turned to her elder sister, eyes twinkling with mischief.

"You aren't with him for him to spy, remember?" Her face hardened as she studied the girl intently. "Unless you plan on telling him . . ." She snapped open her fan threateningly, letting the statement hang in the air.

"Where are we going?" the seemingly younger girl asked, watching her sister remove a feather from her hair.

"Bara's forest," she replied simply before throwing it into the air. The two glided away, silent for the remainder of the trip.

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The young girl scowled from her perch in the tree, running a hand through her brown tresses. "Yea, I remember," she affirmed. "A dog hanyou, a monk, and some weird girl. They had two runts with them: one kitsune youkai, one human. And a neko youkai. Why do you ask?" She dropped down from the trees, eyes twinkling in the light of the Shikon shard the red-eyed, red-lipped wind-youkai held between her thumb and forefinger.

"For the jewel fragment Naraku owes you and the antidote, will you do me a favor . . ." she began, closing her hand as the young teen tried to snatch the shard from her. "Against Naraku."

"What do I have to do?" she questioned, folding her arms across her chest. "And what does this have to do with the runt?"

"You have to deliver the antidote to the young girl named 'Sango' and the monk, Miroku, both of which have been done in much the same as you." The Young girl raised her eyes suspiciously.

"Why would a _demon_ help a _human_?" she growled, circling the woman to inspect her. "What are you trying to pull?"

"My freedom," the woman spat venomously, grasping the girl's wrist and viciously digging her nails into it. "You can either deliver this to them-" She held up the antidote. "-or you can repeat the last ten years of your life. Make your choice . . ." The girl jerked her arm away, grabbing the antidote and the jewel.

"Fine, I'll help your stupid humans," she snapped. "So where do I find them?"

"The forest beyond the next village," Kagura told her plainly. "I'll be watching, so don't screw it up, and don't say anything other than what it is. Give no names and no details. If it comes down to it, tell them a priestess supplied you with it and requested for it to be delivered to them." The girl scrunched up her nose in confusion and distaste, but finally sighed and walked away.

"Whatever . . . not my problem . . ." She pressed the shard to the back of her neck, feeling its power sink in almost immediately. She bit her lip, opening the bottle. "Hey!" she called back, turning to Naraku's minion. "How does this work? And what does it taste like?" The woman rolled her eyes.

"Three drops," she recited dully. "It will take ten day for you to return to your normal form. Take more than three and the spell might leave you older than you need be. Take less you might end up younger than your actual age. Each day you will age another year. And I don't know what it tastes like, I haven't drank any myself." As the girl walked away, she could hear her snide mimicking of Kagura's reply. This girl's new-found age was getting to her head . . .

Then a thought occurred to her: she had yet to torture Kouga or talk to Sesshoumaru. "Come, Kanna." She yanked a feather out of her hair, soaring off into the sky with her elder sister.

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AN:

Yea, yea, you're all thinking, "What the crap?! We wait three friggin' weeks and she gives us an update that barely fills up the screen?!" Well, two things: one, I'm kind of running low on inspiration; and two, it's an interlude and is not meant to be long. Understand that anything ending in -lude (at least, written by me) will not be extremely long - postludes, preludes, and interludes. Yea. Review and I may update within a reasonable amount of time.

Watch for my two upcoming stories: _Inuyasha: the Musical _and _My Angel._ Both will be posted about the same time as the epilogue to _Thirteen_. I'll warn you, _The Musical_, though it will not be in script form, will not be as spectacularly written as my other stories, since they do nothing but sing through most of it. It will be amazingly random, as well, plus all the songs are written by moi. So, yea. Read it if you're in the mood for a bunch of fluff or you want a laugh or two.


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